Stictocardia beraviensis Hawaiian Sunset

What a stunning vine! Off and shopping I go. Will update shortly with info about this gorgeous super rare collector vine....


Update. Got seeds! I had to choose between 1 French, 1 German, 2 African and 2 American suppliers, that's it. Ended up buying home based.

This evergreen climber with absolutely gorgeous blooms and lush big leaves is grown all over the Tropics and some subtropical areas. It is related to the Morning Glory with fast growing thick stems and fleshy heart shaped leaves. Cup shaped flowers emerge at the leaf axils in clusters and are 2-3"across, bright crimson with yellow and orange streaking. They are scented and seem to last a day or two. Leaves are large, growing in shade up to 10-12" wide, dark green and velvet, very ornamental even when not in bloom. 

The plant likes lots of water, especially if grown in full sun. As with any blooming plants, the rule is - the more sun, the more flowers. However, this plant can be planted in shade probably with advantage: it will still continue blooming profusely, but the leaves will grow much larger, that will create a gorgeous tropical look. 

If planted in ground, this plant requires significant space due to its fast growing habit. However, it can be easily grown in container as well. You may trim any unwanted twigs which won't hurt the plants appearance and will encourage new blooms in leaf axils. .......

Edit. US Source: Seeds yay!

Photos Credit: Forest & Kim Starr

Oh Pumpkin Tree, Oh Pumpkin Tree....

Wow, pumpkins on a stick!
A most unusual and rare plant in the Eggplant family. It is usually grown through out mountainous areas of Asia.
This pumpkin is edible but like many eggplants, it has a somewhat bitter taste that is common in some Asian dishes.


Incredible showy ornamental garden plant with pretty purple to white flowers, deep purple stems and branches, and very large, peculiar shaped leaves. A beautiful plant to show off to your neighbors or to try out in a hot, spicy Thai recipe. The hot Thai spices blend well with this type of eggplant.


Synonyms: Solanum integrifolium is sometimes listed as Solanun aethiopicum.

Hardiness Zone: USDA Zones 9-11

Size: 3 ft.

Stem/Bud: Stems are erect and covered with spines and hairs.

Leaves: Leaves are alternate, ovate, 10 in. long, serrated and prickly along top midribs.
Flower: Flowers are purple/white and 3/4 in. wide.
Fruit: Fruit are red or yellow, globose, 1-2 in wide, ribbed.
Uses: Use dried fruit in arrangements or for decorations. Dried fruits resemble small, flatten, globose, orange mini pumpkins.
Culture: Grow in full sun in average, well-drained soil.

Stunning flower bed specimen that dries nicely and the branches with fruits make stunning additions to any flower arrangements.

I bought the seeds here

The Phenomena of Goth Gardening

Recently I have reconnected with a person from my past. The experience was associated with sweet and bitter memories and she unknowingly pointed out a rather unusual form of gardening. 

The Goth Garden. 

I see many people asking about about Goth or EMO gardening all over the web and I never knew what it meant, thought it was depressing nonsense.

Black flowers? That seems strange to me, because how would a bee or a butterfly be attracted enough wanting to pollinate. 

I am beginning to think that it's probably not any less strange than my desire to find the diamond in the rough, the best of the best, the most unusual, the most challenging and eventually the ultimate (?).

There must be some happiness in black flower gardening. .....I am still researching this phenomena.

In the meantime, here are some very beautiful and dramatic black or near black flowers :)

Here is a good US source: for black (almost black) flowering seeds

They have gift collections and many many individual species as well, even black vegetables!  - How cool!

Amazing Stunning Silver Princess Eucalyptus

Silver Princess Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus caesia magna
The new seeds are planted and happy in trays. Lets see how it goes...

This beauty is considered by many to be the most striking species in the genus Eucalyptus, and certainly has some of the largest flowers. The flowers are 2"-3' in diameter and dangle in clusters, very visible in the sparsely-leaved tree. The stems and flowers buds are all covered in a white powdery 'bloom'. In the wild, this is native to only a few granite outcrops in the desert of Western Australia.

Silver Princess is a small-growing dry zone-dwelling Euacalypt shrub and small tree. It will do well in areas that are dry and that have fairly mild winter lows. One absolute requirement is a well-drained soil. The plant is known to grow in the Santa Cruz botanical gardens and in Arizona, so it can succeed on US soil, but it must have very sandy loams in the gardens.

This weeping small tree benefits from pruning and shaping. It is hardy to at least 22°F.

The spectacular Firewheel Tree

We've started the seeds. This one will be a bonsai. When buying seeds from Australia, note that many of the seeds need a smoke pre-treatment to aid germination. It's basically a piece of paper infused with smoke primer solution which contains a combination of natural substances that overcome dormancy and stimulate seed germination. The degree of germination success varies with the species, but on average, treated seeds give at least twice the number of seedlings that untreated seeds do. Given the rarity, cost and availability of some seeds, it's a wise move to use the primer. Very hard to find for sale and very expensive. Some sellers offer a free bit of primer enough for the amount of seeds sold - but not very many!

There are approximately 30 species in the genus Stenocarpus. Most are found in New Caledonia and there are about 7 species native to Australia. S.sinuatus is the best known species as it is widely cultivated both in Australia and overseas.

The firewheel tree takes its name from the configuration and color of the inflorescence in which the small flowers have a wheel-like arrangement. It is one of Australia's most spectacular trees. S.sinuatus occurs in nature as a tree to about 80 Ft but it is usually smaller in cultivation, particularly in cooler areas. The dark, glossy green leaves may be entire or lobed and up to 18"long. The conspicuous flower clusters are seen in summer through to autumn.

Despite its sub-tropical to tropical origin, S.sinuatus is adaptable to a range of climates and will even succeed in dry climates if additional water is available. It prefers fairly rich, loamy soils but is tolerant of most well drained soils. It may be grown in a sunny or partly shaded location.

Seeds have been located here; US source

Another Fabulous Tropical Fruit

An Asian friend of mine introduced me to this incredible fruit, so I had to just run and get one.

It's distinctive flavor is melt-in-your-mouth. I was so excited that I planted some of the seeds and after just 2 weeks we had babies. Jackfruit is propagated by seed. Lets see if they will survive!! Wish me luck!

 

Common Name: Jackfruit
Scientific Name: Artocarpus heterophyllus
Family: Moraceae
Jackfruit tree is native to Southeast Asian Countries, but has found it way to other countries like Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and others. Jackfruit is a large prickly fruit similar in Durian fruit, it measures 12 to 20 inches long, 8 to 10 inches in width, and weigh about 18 kg. and more. 

Jackfruit are very fragrant, when you open the fruit you will find the fleshly bright yellow part (when ripe) which can be eaten raw or can be cooked with syrup. When unripe its flesh is green, and it can be made into a delicious vegetable dish. Inside the fleshy part are the seeds (nut) which is similar to chestnuts. Jackfruit seeds can be roasted or boiled.

Piel De Sapo Christmas Melons

It's getting hot here!! Hope this helps all of us :)

Melon Margarita

Ingredients:

1.5 cup melon puree (see below) Best are Piel de Sapo melon, honeydew or watermelon.

1/2 cup tequila

3 tbsp orange liqueur (I used triple sec)

1/4 cup lime juice

3 tbsp sugar syrup or just sugar to taste

Ice

Coarse salt for the glass rim

Method:

To make the melon puree, remove the skin and seeds of a fresh melon and cut into large chunks. Place in a blender and process until smooth.

Wet the rim of the margarita glass with a piece of lime and dip in coarse salt in a shallow dish to coat the edge of the glass.

Combine all the ingredients along with ice in a cocktail shaker or blender and mix well.

Strain into the prepared Margarita glass, garnish with a lime wedge.

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Piel De Sapo Melon:

The shiney, green, blotched skin fits the literal translation of its name perfectly — "toad skin." But whats in a name. Their flesh is pale green to white and it is very tender, juicy and sweet. Super gourmet melon.

The fruits are oblong, eight to twelve inches long and average about eight pounds, with a shelf life of several months. Relatively rare, the variety originated in La Mancha, Spain.

Seeds are available here

Tree Tomato !!

Tamarillo also known as the Tree tomato is an exotic edible fruit that is native to the tropical parts of South America. The word tamarillo is believed to come from several languages "tomato", the Spanish word "amarillo", meaning yellow, and a variation on the Maori word "tama", meaning "leadership". It is an egg shaped fruit that is pointed at both ends and may be red, purple, amber, or golden yellow in color. The flesh is tangy and tart, but flavorful.       
Tamarillos contain lots of potassium as well as 40mg of vitamin C per 100 grams, which makes them excellent source of Vitamin C.

Tamarillos can be eaten raw or used as the fresh fruit in all basic fruit recipes from cheesecakes to apple crumble, from ice cream and sherbets to fruit sauces, chutneys, jams, jellies, and pickles. Sliced on pizzas, toast and in sandwiches or added to casseroles and even lightly fried as a steak accompaniment.

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Tamarillo Chutney

30-50 tamarillos, cleaned and trimmed,
1kg brown sugar,
1 cup malt vinegar,
4 cloves garlic,
4 Granny Smiths,
3 brown onions,
cayenne pepper,
salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Soak tams in a boiling water, then peel (when the water is quite safe for your hands). Put them in the food processor and blend until smooth. Pour into a large saucepan. Chopped the brown onions and apples in large chunks and process them in the food processor until smooth. Pour into the saucepan. Mix all the rest of ingredients, stir well and cook in a medium heat until bubbly and thicken. Correct the seasoning. Pour into hot sterilized jars and seal.  

Makes 11-13 various jars.

Seeds are available here

Vertical Gardens

Lately I've been getting fascinated by vertical gardens and discovered during research the artist Partick Blanc. This is a direct quote from the wikipedia:


Patrick Blanc (born June 3, 1953 in Paris) is a botanist, working at the French National Centre for Scientific Research, where he specializes in plants from subtropical forests. He invented the concept of a vertical garden:


“ On a load-bearing wall or structure is placed a metal frame that supports a PVC plate 10 millimetres (0.39 in) thick, on which are stapled two layers of polyamide felt each 3 millimetres (0.12 in) thick. These layers mimic cliff-growing mosses and are support the roots of many plants. A network of pipes controlled by valves provides a nutrient solution containing dissolved minerals needed for plant growth. The felt is soaked by capillary action with this nutrient solution, which flows down the wall by gravity. The roots of the plants take up the nutrients they need, and excess water is collected at the bottom of the wall by a gutter before being re-injected into the network of pipes: the system works in a closed circuit. Plants are chosen for their ability to grow on this type of environment and depending on available light.”


Amazing how Patrick grew this organic wallpaper inside a private home. I don't quite have the courage and confidence to start one because I know way too little about it. But this stuff is great enough to be posted and shown off on my humble blog :)

Drooling over Hibiscus schizopetalus

This striking flower is an original species of Hibiscus. It is frequently used as a parent in the modern hybrids. It forms an arching shrub or small tree and produces flowers throughout the summer.

Hibiscus schizopetalus is a weeping tree hibiscus from Tropical E Africa . Grows rapidly and blooms freely. Hanging pink or red/coral colored flowers have 21/2 inch petals that curve up, with many deep lacy lobes, giving a beautiful effect. This fast growing shrub reaches 6-8 feet with a spread of 5-6 feet. Flowers sporadically year-round in greenhouse or in tropics, or during warm season elsewhere.

Can be grown as hanging basket plants and treated as an annual.

Grow in part shade and intermediate to warm temperatures. 2 parts peat moss to 2 parts loam to 1 part sand or perlite has been a successful potting medium. Do not allow to dry out, keep plant moist at all times. Give a monthly balanced fertilizer at ½ the strength recommended on the label.

Prune often to keep a desired form. Pruning often to give and keep shape, as well as encourage blooms which form on new wood.

Canarina - Canary Bell Flower Canarina canariensis

Canary Bellflower is a beautiful herbaceous climbing perennial with bluish green leaves, slightly succulent stems and a tuberous root. Makes showy, large bell shaped bright orange to orange red pendulous flowers followed by astonishingly large, edible (!), walnut sized, bright orange yellow fruits. Keep dry as soon as plants go dormant at higher temperatures in summer. Start to water again as soon as new growth appears in autumn. Requires a climbing aid and is mainly winter-growing.

Canarina canariensis (Canary Bellflower)- a winter grower.

Seeds found here:

Bhut Jolokia World's Hottest chili pepper

Bhut Jolokia, a variety of chile pepper originating in Assam, India, has earned Guiness World Records' recognition as the world's hottest chile pepper by blasting past the previous champion Red Savina.

In replicated tests of Scoville heat units (SHUs), Bhut Jolokia reached one million SHUs, almost double the SHUs of Red Savina, which measured a mere 577,000.

Very challenging to grow. Requires relatively high temperatures to germinate and has a long growing period, so, for warm climates or conservatories only

Garlic or Amethyst Vine

What stunning specimen. After the freeze here on the gulf coast seems to ravish most of my tropical's I was unable to cover, we'll start anew with a Garlic vine. All parts of the vine, when rubbed or crushed will smell like garlic and can be used in food.

Latin: Mansoa alliacea (Pseudocalymma alliaceum)
Family: Bignoniaceae
English: Garlic Vine
 

The vines of the Garlic Vine attach itself with strong twining tendrils. The leaves are bright green and up to 15 cm long. The flowers are first beautiful deep lavender and have a white throat. Later the flowers fade to a pale lavender and finally become almost white. All three flower colors can be found on the plant simultaneously.
Abundant bloom finds place two or more times during the rainy season. In other months incidental clusters of flowers appear. The flowers are regularly visited by hummingbirds looking for nectar.

Figs - The Food of the Gods

Our precious Fig tree was ravished by the hard freeze a couple months ago. I had such great hopes, but ended up with shriveled up rotten fruits. How did that happen? Come to find out that figs soaked in rain water, frozen and exposed to heavy freezing winds are just dammed to die. 

If it doesn't come back we must start again with a hardier variety. 

A few months ago I received a couple of bags of fig fruits from my sister in law Catherine. They were super ripe and because I had no way of using them right away, they went in the freezer.

In fact, Figs freeze super well and will, this year, be used to make a fine jam, maybe even a fig/pear jam. After long research I've obtained a recipe that looked simple enough and sounded absolutely delicious. Simplicity and quality in home made foods is essential to me. 4 ingredients or less are preferred, but hey, I will get "helpers" too if it's more than 6 pounds

Here is the recipe: 

FIG JAM
6 qt. boiling water
6 qt. fresh figs
1/2 cup sugar for each cup of crushed figs
1 qt. water
8 slices lemon
Pour boiling water over figs; let stand 15 minutes. Drain and thoroughly rinse in cold water. Pat dry; remove stems Crush and measure figs, place in a large Dutch oven. Add 1/2 cup sugar for each cup of crushed figs. Add 1 quart water. Bring to a rapid boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 3 hours or until thickened, stirring occasionally.
Ladle jam into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Add a slice of lemon to each jar. Cover at once with metal lids and screw on bands. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Yields 8 1/2 pints.

A Blue Brugmansia?

I found this rare flower at my favorite seed shop. Looks like a Brugmansia Angel Trumpet and found it research worthy. It's actually a relative of the Brugmansia. This beauty comes from from South America:

Description: Small shrub, generally to 3-6ft, sometimes to 10ft. Flowers are borne in clusters of up to 6-12 and sometimes more. Flowers grow to about 2-3", are cobalt blue in color and can remain on the branches for a while. Flowering may occur for much of the warmer months. There is a white type as well.
Hardiness: Hardy to 20-22F. Growing Environment: Grows best in filtered sun to full sun. Water moderately.
Propagation: By seeds.
Uses: Still a rare plant, it is cultivated as an ornamental and can be found in a few botanical gardens. Native Range: Native to Argentina.

  Seeds of some varieties found here: Iochroma Seeds

What is this?

Anyone? I can't locate any usable info at all on this plant! It was called "Beard Dianthus" and had no botanical name - that doesn't seem to fit. Please post if you know. Thanks much!!

Beautiful Spoon Daisy

What an unusual species and, of course, nowhere to be found for purchase. It appears that this plant is patented and very much restricted to whole sale nurseries only.

The African Daisy, Osteospermum ecklonis Nasinga, or also called Scape Daisy, is a wonderful early spring and fall plant. This low maintenance variety is perfect for hanging baskets, combination's, window boxes and landscapes.

Plant Facts:
Mature Height: 8 - 14 inches
Mature Spread: 12 - 14 inches
Soil Type: Widely Adaptable
Moisture: Moderate
Mature Form: Mounding
Growth Rate: Moderate
Sun Exposure: Full Sun - Partial Sun
Flower Color: Lavender, Blue
Zones: 10-11

Cool Cactus Blooms!!

Our cactus that we have had for only one year bloomed last fall, but just for one day, actually just a few hours. The cactus stands 5 ft tall when 3 bloom buds appeared out of nowhere. When it opened the bloom stem was about 6” long and the bloom 6” across. I had get up at 5 AM to take pictures. The bloom closed by 9:00am that morning never to open again. We never dreamed that the bloom for as large as it is would only be open for a few hours.

Notes:
San Pedro Cactus, Trichocereus pachanoi, is native to several places in South America. San Pedro Cactus is found in Southern Ecuador at the Chanchan valley ranging from 6,600-9,000 feet. In Peru, in the Huancabamba valley and in Quebrada Santa Cruz at 10,800 ft. San Pedro Cactus grows naturally in these locales, San Pedro Cactus is cultivated all over Peru and in other places in South America.
San Pedro Cactus cuttings are fast growing (12-18" per year) if grown in warm, moist and rain-rich areas. If San Pedro Cactus cuttings are grown indoors they should be kept in a warm area of your house, direct sunlight is important for San Pedro Cactus cuttings to flourish in-doors. Watering San Pedro Cactus cuttings should be done daily, doing so you can almost watch your San Pedro Cactus cutting growing. San Pedro Cactus is a very hardy cactus, it grows quickly when watered daily but will survive long periods without water. San Pedro Cactus cuttings can survive for months or even years and can develop lateral shoots even without food or water.The almost spineless columnar San Pedro Cactus can grow as tall as 19 ft. San Pedro Cactus has several ribs, usually six but often seven or eight, sometimes as many as twelve. San Pedro Cactus has beautiful white flowers which only appear at night and very delicious red fruits which develop very rarely.

Seed Source

The Dramatic Angel Trumpet

There are few more dramatic flowers in Texas than the angel’s trumpet, which is blooming Summer to Fall. I have 4 varieties, pink, yellow, white and tropical sunset, the pink however is by far the most vigorous grower.

The Latin name is Brugmansia, and the flowers can be nine to 12 inches long. A really mature shrub can sport 200 such dangling trumpets at the same time.

The flower is very fragrant, but unlike the tree-born bloom, you probably should not mix these gigantic flowers into your scrambled eggs. All parts of the plant are poisonous.

Nevertheless, these are popular garden specimens in Texas because of their enormous flowers. Plus they also can endure sun and shade. They usually are found as shrubs, but a mature plant can be 20 feet tall.

Some debate exists on where the plants originated. Some say Chile or Peru. But some Brazilian Indians have worked the plant into their culture. They smoke the leaves for a narcotic high and possible relief of some respiratory illnesses. This is not recommended for mere mortals nor should gardeners fail to wash up after casual contact.

Propagation
There are three basic types of propagation in use by the hobbiest. They are seed, cuttings and air layering. Several other methods,such as tissue culture, are in use commercially but these are beyond the scope of the home gardener.

Seed
Brug seed are enclosed in a corky covering. Inside the cork is a small "bean". This is the true seed. The covering may be removed or it may be left on. The only difference is that the peeled seed may sprout a bit sooner. Many of the flowers from seed will be white as this is the dominant color in many species. But, that said, we do also get all of our colorful new hybrids from seed. Use fine potting soil or you may use a mixture of sand and peat as a starting mix. Plant the seed about one half inch deep and firm the soil over it. Water well and then do not water again until the soil becomes dry. Too much water for too long a time will rot the seed. Expect germination in from two weeks to six months. Fresh seed do germinate faster. When the seedling has grown its second set of leaves move it to a larger pot. Generally speaking, the larger the pot the faster the seedling will grow. Do remember to keep the soil warm in colder weather. Expect blooms when the seedling has reached three to five feet and formed a "Y" on the main stalk.

Cuttings
Plants grown from cuttings are exact clones of the parent plant. For instance, if you have a Dr.Seuss it has been produced from a cutting of a cutting of a cutting etc. of the original plant and is a part of that plant. It will not cross and produce seed with another Dr.Seuss. Select cuttings from older wood.The cutting should be about six inches long and one half inch in diameter or larger. The cuttings may be started in water or in good potting soil. If you start in water,change the water daily and move the cutting to soil as soon as the roots begin to form. If starting in soil place the cutting about two inches into the potting medium, firm the soil and water thoroughly. After this water only sparingly until the plant is well started. Too much water will cause the cutting to rot. Most cutting failures are due to too much water instead of not enough.

Texas Mountain Laurel Mescal Bean

Texas Mountain Laurel - Sophora secundiflora
Drooping clusters of purple blossoms, very fragrant
Native to Texas and Mexico

Texas mountain laurel grows in limestone soils in Central and Southwest Texas and to 5000 feet in the Chisos and Davis Mountains.

 The pinnate leaves with their lustrous, leathery upper surface provide year long beauty, enhanced in mid-spring by the densely-flowered racemes of lavender or violet wisteria like flowers having the scent of grape Kool Aid. 

The gray to black, somewhat constricted seedpods contain red to red-orange seeds which are sometimes used in jewelry. 

In zones colder than Zone 8, flowering is not reliable because of late freezes which damage the buds. Texas mountain laurel is difficult to successfully transplant from the wild because they dislike root disturbance.

Seeds found available here:  Texas Mountain Laurel